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Game Music

Celebrate Mario’s 30th Anniversary This Fall On CD

August 12, 2015 | Ryan Paquet | 1 Comment Share this

On September 13, 2015, Nippon Columbia will be releasing an album titled The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music. The album will contain two CDs spanning the history of Mario games right up to the newest game Super Mario Maker in total featuring music from 18 Super Mario games:

Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Lost Levels)
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Land
Super Mario World
Super Mario Bros. 2 (The USA Version)
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Sunshine
New Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Galaxy
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario 3D Land
New Super Mario Bros. 2
New Super Mario Bros. U
Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario Maker

Games represented on The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music Album

You can read the limited details about the album at the Video Game Music Database. As I’m sure you know many of the classic Super Mario soundtracks are long out of print and very expensive. The album will retail for 3000yen, which will let Super Mario fans of all ages access some of the best music in video game history for a reasonable price. Let’s just hope next year The Legend of Zelda gets the same treatment!

Keep checking back with OSV for further details on this album. Do you own any Super Mario soundtracks on CD or vinyl?
Game Music

The Super Smash Bros. Soundtrack Will Be Available Through Club Nintendo

September 4, 2014 | Michael Hoffmann | 1 Comment Share this

The newest iteration in the Super Smash Bros. franchise will have an official soundtrack for Club Nintendo members. Nintendo is a company that has been notoriously stingy when it comes to releases of their game soundtracks. This is particularly true if you happen to live in North America. But with the release of Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS this fall and the WiiU version at a later date, Nintendo is promoting a special offer for North American and European fans. If you purchase and register both versions of the game, you will be eligible to receive a promotional two disc soundtrack.

Nintendo has released a few details about the two disc album, including contributing arrangers of the music. The list of composers is as extensive and as varied as the games that are represented in the Super Smash Bros. games. Composers include Yuzo Koshiro, Hideki Sakamoto, Yoko Shimomura, Mahito Yokota, and many more. Nintendo has also released some sample music from the soundtrack. The full track list has yet to be released, but definitely keep your eyes on the Club Nintendo site for future announcements.
Game Music

Cyber Week: Super Mario Galaxy Soundtrack with Black Wii Bundle

November 29, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

Anyone spot this? I was browsing sales for Cyber Monday which started last night, and I instantly noticed the cover of the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack in this black Wii bundle from Target. I didn’t believe my eyes and immediately clicked to see what was all included along with the system. There’s New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and various other peripherals, and indeed, the Gold Version of the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack which was only published in regions outside of North America as a Club Nintendo exclusive.

It’s pretty strange to see a soundtrack release included with a product from a major retailer, much less a Club Nintendo exclusive which Nintendo has generally been pretty protective about, not letting anyone other than those who dish out their hard-earned points get there hands on these items.

Are you surprised to see it here? Does this give you hope that you’ll someday see some rare Club Nintendo CD release included in some bundle a few years down the raod?
Game Music

Nintendo Lets Loose With the Goods… Sort Of

October 21, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Nintendo Lets Loose With the Goods… Sort Of Share this

Nintendo has revealed details on their Club Nintendo Platinum member awards for 2011 in Japan, and it looks like they’re actually putting out some cool stuff this year. In addition to a pixel pillow featuring Mario, Nintendo has also surprisingly allowed those achieving platinum status this year to alternately pick some desk calendars or two of their five new soundtrack offerings.

What’s included? There’s Wii Fit Plus, Star Fox 64 3D, Mario Kart Wii, Pilotwings Resort, and Tomodachi Collection. Each apparently seems to be offered only to platinum members in Japan without a general release to Club Nintendo members. Once again, Nintendo gives us what we want, but then doesn’t! I’d love to get my hands on the Mario Kart Wii and Star Fox 64 3D soundtracks. Now, Nintendo, where’s that Twilight Princess soundtrack everyone has been asking for?

What do you think of Nintendo’s new goods and their decision to make it even more difficult to get your hands on them? Which soundtracks would you pick, or would you go straight for the pixel pillow?

[via Destructoid]
Game Music

SDCC 2011: Why CDs Aren’t Offered by Club Nintendo in North America

August 2, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 8 Comments Share this

While talking with Bill Trinen, a product marketing manager at Nintendo about the Zelda Symphony concerts coming up in a few weeks (you can buy tickets to the show as of yesterday!), I also took the chance to ask why North America has been getting the short end of the stick in regards to the exclusive music CDs that Club Nintendo offers fans in Japan. I’m talking about the recently-released Donkey Kong Country Returns soundtrack, the Super Mario Galaxy soundtracks, and even the Touch! Generations music CD. I thought the recent release of the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D soundtrack would have paved the way more more music releases, but perhaps I was wrong.

As Trinen explained, by making music CDs like these available in the United States, it opens up the gates for people to start asking Nintendo about licensing and the ability to use the music for other purposes (commercials, radio, etc.). Nintendo isn’t currently set up to handle these requests (i.e. nobody has the time to deal with it), so that’s why they’ve been reluctant to release their music here. I guess this makes sense given the stories that many of the game music cover bands and doujin groups will tell you about times that they’ve tried to reach out to Nintendo to “do things the right way.”

I have to say that it’s a little discouraging, but I still think the Ocarina of Time 3D CD is a step in the right direction. What do you make of the situation?
Game Music

Donkey Kong Country Soundtrack Coming From Club Nintendo Japan

June 2, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

Nintendo is once again making their fans outside of Japan jealous with their latest run of Club Nintendo goods. Along with some cute Kirby Epic Yarn pouches, Nintendo made the Donkey Kong Country Returns soundtrack available to Club Nintendo members. It will be available for 400 points, or 250 if you happened to have purchased the game.

I have nearly 800 points, and I’d give them all up for one of these Club Nintendo Japan CDs. While the soundtrack looks rather incomplete with only 25 tracks (some game rips going around have around 83 tracks), you can be sure that Nintendo has probably combed the soundtrack for the best of the best, and that a lot of the remixes of previous DKC material will be here. I really want this one for the groovy “Sunset Coast” and the Metroid-esque “Storm Beach,” however.

With music provided by Kenji Yamamoto and others, it should be worth checking out if you can ever get your hands on it. Guess I’ll have to wait until next time I’m in Japan! Are you interested, and are you still scratching your head as to why Zelda never gets this kind of treatment?

[via VGMdb]
Game Music

Mario Galaxy Orchestra Returns to CD Via Club Nintendo Japan

May 27, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this

Yes, it’s going to happen, but was there ever really any doubt? We’ve spotted a listing for the Super Mario Galaxy 2 Original Soundtrack on VGMdb, which is supported by the recent addition of the soundtrack to the Club Nintendo Japan website. Whereas the first game’s soundtrack was only available to Platinum Members in Japan, however, the Super Mario Galaxy 2 soundtrack will be available to all Club Nintendo members for 500 points, or 300 points for those who’ve purchased Super Mario Galaxy 2. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!

I’ve been playing through the game this week, and am liking what I’ve been hearing. I’ve yet to hear the arrangement of “Wind Garden” that I’m so much looking forward to, but I know it’s coming. Just as we suspected, there is a blend of orchestral and synth elements, just as with the first game. As to whether or not the two discs will be separated by orchestral and synth material is unknown, but it’s likely we’ll know soon as it’s available as of today in Japan.

Are you surprised by the announcement of this album? Will you be importing it from Japan?

[via VGMdb, translation by Chris Ling]